Video: SEIU activists try to set ObamaCare opponents straight

posted at 2:55 pm on August 7, 2009 by Ed Morrissey

After the President himself talked about getting in people’s faces when they oppose his policies and setting up snitch lines at the White House, the only shocker in this video is that it took so long for townhalls to turn violent. The SEIU showed up in t-shirted uniform to a townhall meeting for Rep. Russ Carnahan in St. Louis, apparently intent on demonstrating union tactics in organizing elections if Congress passes Card Check. The video below shows the immediate aftermath of the attack, including the arrest of one of the SEIU’s thugs:

His excuse? After being berated by a member of the crowd for attacking a black conservative for opposing ObamaCare, the union thug replied, “He attacked America!” The same goon made a threatening motion to the vocal witness, but perhaps thought better of it when he saw the camera. Police eventually responded and started arresting a number of people, including one reporter on the scene:

Kenneth Gladney, a 38-year-old conservative activist from St. Louis, said he was attacked by some of those arrested as he handed out yellow flags with “Don’t tread on me” printed on them. He spoke to the Post-Dispatch from the emergency room of the St. John’s Mercy Medical Center, where he said he was waiting to be treated for injuries to his knee, back, elbow, shoulder and face that he suffered in the attack. Gladney, who is black, said one of his attackers, also a black man, used a racial slur against him before the attack started.

“It just seems there’s no freedom of speech without being attacked,” he said.

Pay attention, America. This is a glimpse into the next three years of the Obama administration, at least using the same logic by which the Left accuses health-care reform opponents of “astroturfing”. If its policies get organized opposition, especially at events designed to allow for public debate, purple-shirted thugs will appear to crack heads and scare off the opposition.

And if nothing else, it’s a great look at how the unions will act once the secret ballot gets eliminated from organizing elections.

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What I thought was great was the woman stepping in…the union thug had no problem threatening a man, but he knew not to take on a woman.
It shows that the biggest weapon we have for protection is a woman…no union wants to have a video of a thug taking out a woman.
They can always say with a man it was “self-defense” …doesn’t wash with a woman.

After the President himself talked about getting in people’s faces when they oppose his policies and setting up snitch lines at the White House, the only shocker in this video is that it took so long for townhalls to turn violent.

It didn’t take so long. It happened immediately. You have to know this was all orchestrated.

Soon after powerful members of the Democrat party began lying about the interests of the people at recent town hall meetings, President Obama released an email to members of his group Organizing for America. This email told people to attend town halls and “fight lies with truth.” The emails that the President is sending out contain information on Republican town halls and they encourage members of Organizing for America to attend.

This strategy is clearly a retaliation against regular Americans who showed up at town halls on their own volition to ask questions and expose lies….

With the measures Obama has taken and the direction he has given to his people, he wants absolute chaos in the streets. He wants citizen to fight citizen. He wants lies and turmoil to rule the day. He wants peace in the streets to be relics of the American past. He wants anger and hatred to be front and center in American hearts.

Obama is no President, he is proving himself to be the community organizer that he has always been.

The St. Louis Tea Party will hold a press conference and peaceable protest at SEIU Headquarters
5585 Pershing Ave., Suite 130, St. Louis, MO 63112 at Noon Saturday, August 8, 2009.

The protest is to demand justice for Kenneth Gladney, an African-American conservative who was brutally beaten by 4 individuals, at least 2 of whom were identified as SEIU representatives. The beatings included racial slurs and required hospitalization of Mr. Gladney.

Posted this on another thread too, but this one is most appropriate now…

hey guys and gals…let’s stir up some ch!t. This vid has been on YT all morning and the view counter is stuck at 313. Hasn’t changed since early today. YT aggregate daily or is it just my suspicious mind (calling Elvis)?

I spent an extended period of time over at dkos today, and they’re unified in the theory that, because the large SEIU member tripped and fell on the ground and was rubbing his shoulder, the conservative was the one who attacked them.

I kind of hope some Congressmen cancel events. This crap is going to get out of control.

I spent an extended period of time over at dkos today, and they’re unified in the theory that, because the large SEIU member tripped and fell on the ground and was rubbing his shoulder, the conservative was the one who attacked them.

I kind of hope some Congressmen cancel events. This crap is going to get out of control.

BadgerHawk on August 7, 2009 at 3:05 PM

Then how about the big white guy in the obama shirt who comes in from behind and grabs the guy buy the shoulders and throws him down backwards onto the pavement?

If Dr. Evil’s plan is to produce a cockfight, wait until someone is fatally wounded, then declare a state of emergency with lockdown and pass the bill while we all remain in shock, I say Bad Plan, very Bad Plan.

He spoke … from the emergency room … where he said he was waiting to be treated for injuries … he suffered in the attack.

Have always noticed that the people who claim to me the most liberal, are the people who are the most intolerant of others. I understand that this is a big diverse country and there are differing opinions on almost every subject imaginable. But now is the time to stand up against bullies. What I want form the left is: For them to be as tolerant to me, as they want me to be tolerant to them. Actually, I know as I type this that it’s a pipe dream. The left doesn’t want tolerance, thy want total subjugation.

On a side not to Mr. Gladney, he’s a very lucky man. Under Obamacare there probably won’t be an emergency room to take him to. And if there is, his “well deserved” injuries won’t be covered because he asked for it.

I’d love to put that sticker on my bumper, but how many more speeding tickets would I receive?

I’ve crossed picket lines a few times, and the police always seemed sympathetic to the unions, but that’s New England – so who knows. I remember driving to Hartford Jai-Alai during a strike and it was a nasty scene.

Also had a bunch of union clowns show up at the gates of former non-union employers (two different companies!).

Have always noticed that the people who claim to me the most liberal, are the people who are the most intolerant of others.

Tommy_G on August 7, 2009 at 3:10 PM

I bet MadCon could confirm, but Madison is one of the most intollerant places around, apart from San Fransisco and few others. And I spent 18 months in the ‘deep south’ so I have a pretty good frame of reference.

I put up a bunch of McCain stickers before the election. Only two of them made it to election day, and one was torn down shortly after that.

However, with his militiamen, Marion showed himself to be a singularly able leader of irregulars. Unlike the Continental troops, Marion’s Men, as they were known, served without pay, supplied their own horses, arms, and often their food. All of Marion’s supplies that were not obtained locally were captured from the British or Loyalist (“Tory”) forces.

Marion rarely committed his men to frontal warfare, but repeatedly surprised larger bodies of Loyalists or British regulars with quick surprise attacks and equally quick withdrawal from the field. After the surrender of Charleston, the British garrisoned South Carolina with help from local Tories, except for Williamsburg (the present Pee Dee), which they were never able to hold. The British made one attempt to garrison Williamsburg at Willtown, but were driven out by Marion at the Mingo Creek.

We are witnessing something terribly ugly in America this summer. Obama is leading a campaign to shift our peaceful democratic process away from civil discussions of programs and candidates to using the power of the state to bully those who oppose the majority party’s policy proposals. The threat may be as subtle as the fear of being reported by a neighborhood informant to the White House, or as overt as stick-wielding union toughs who might not approve of the way you ask your congressman a question.

During his campaign last year, the president famously told his supporters to “get in the faces” of those who disagreed with his vision for America. One of his Chicago mentors recalled in a 2007 New Republic profile that Obama, as a community organizer, was “the best student he ever had, a natural, the undisputed master of agitation” to gain political power. Sadly, now that he has it, he is turning it against those who oppose him.

This video infurates me. These unions better be careful. This isn’t Iran. We don’t scatter in fear. I remember going to a demonstration 17 years ago when I was 15. A group of people were going to try to burn a flag at city hall in Cleveland. The key word in that sentence was they tried. I would never resort to physical violence in a debate or arguement, I will resort to physical violence if someone attacked me. As Americans we have every right to protest and gather. Blood has been spilled all over this world to defend that right. We also have every right to defend ourselves. These union thugs were lucky they only got arrested and aren’t having breakfast this morning served through a straw.

OBAMA: I’ve spent my entire adult life working with SEIU. I’m not a newcomer to this, I didn’t suddenly discover SEIU on the campaign trail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Your agenda has been my agenda in the United States Senate. Before debating health care I talked to Andy Stern and SEIU members. Before immigration debates took place in Washington, I talked with Eliseio Medina and SEIU members. Before the EFCA I talked to SEIU.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Before I even get inaugurated — during the transition — we’re going to be calling all of you in to help us shape the agenda. We’re going to be having meetings all across the country with community organizations so that you have input into the agenda for the next presidency of the United States of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

All I’m asking for is that you ask officials the tough questions. Who’s running the show? Is it the “all-knowing Messiah,” Barack Obama? Or is it special interest groups, like the SEIU and ACORN pushing their agenda?

From Glenn Beck via Fox News…

Those SEIU guys are a swell bunch. They’re just trying to help a black man out.

All I can say is they better not come down here, because I might be small and female but I have taken on bigger guys that that SEIU retard and won. That being said, I think Obambi is trying to ignite this so he can declare martial law and come off as “Mr. Cool Cat” again. The problem is, his arrogance is starting to show through, and people are picking up on it. It’s hard to get support when your distain for the “proletariat” is showing. There are more of us than them and we have to get out of our comfort zone, show up, at meetings and most importantly AT THE BALLOT BOX FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS…

I hope I get to question her. Any suggestions for questions? I’m thinking tort reform? Or just how the hell w/a doctor shortage right now are we going to add that mythical 47 million to the healthcare roster w/out lines and rationing?

Judging from past historical indicators – no. It’s too cool and too wet of a summer. Most riots have broken out during protracted hot and dry spells – and incidentally, been broken up by rainfall. Barring that, though… it’d be a real tossup, actually. Which is actually a good thing, given that the next call if the union goon Enforcer squad got trounced, would likely go to guys with legal authority and arms.

Hey Barry, Nan, Harry – WTF were you thinking, calling elderly people, many of whom actually FOUGHT AGAINST REAL NAZIS, IN GERMANY, a bunch of “swastika-carrying” astroturfers, for DARING to oppose your diktat?!

A black youth was standing on the sidewalk handing out American heritage flags. The white SEIU union thug attacked him. A big black union member must have got on the white member’s case, ending down on the street getting kicked by the white union member. At that point, the video begins when by-passers broke up the white/black union beating, and a courageous man vocally denounced the white SEIU bigot who attacked the black youth.

In my opinion, the conservative media and bloggers should drop everything and being a campaign to inform America about the criminal entyerprise that is the SEIU. These people are ruthless, mean, and all about power for their own leaders. They do not give a rip about people whith health care problems – this is all about nationalizing our health care system so they can force 2 million health care workers into the SEIU. It is a criminal and fascist movement that is growing and metastasizing right in front of us, and if we don’t stop it soon we won’t be able to.

Andy Stern is nothing more than a modern day Al Capone, kneecapping his opposition, stealing money from his own members, and demanding protection money from corporations and even other unions. He and his gang of thugs must be stopped before they are allowed to take over our health care system.